Teen critically injured after bike strikes pulled trailer

October 22, 2013

A 13-year-old boy was critically injured Monday after the bike he was riding struck a trailer being towed by a pickup truck along Southwest 20th Avenue.

The teen, whose name has not been released, was ejected from his bike and "sustained life-threatening head injuries," according to a release issued by the Cape Coral Police Department.

The boy was trauma alerted to Lee Memorial and later airlifted to the Children's Unit at Tampa General Hospital, officials said.

The driver of the truck, identified as Victor M. Criollo, 30, of 17 N.W. 35 Place, was not injured.

According to police, Cape Coral Police, Fire, and EMS units responded to the traffic crash in the 2700 Block of SW 20th Avenue at approximately 5:45 p.m.

"Evidence on-scene and witness testimony indicate that the child operating the bicycle veered into the street from a vacant field, striking the trailer that the pickup truck was pulling," the release states.

According to police, the boy was riding north in the roadway in the 2700 block of Southwest 20th Avenue. Meanwhile, the Ford F650 work truck Criollo was traveling north on Southwest 20th Avenue behind the bike. According to evidence and multiple witnesses, the truck came to a complete stop behind the bike as traffic was coming south.

The bicyclist then left the roadway and began to ride in the vacant grass/field on the east side of the roadway with another bicyclist, the report states.

The truck started north on Southwest 20th Avenue. The truck passed the rider, who then veered back left and drove back onto the roadway as if the rider did not see the trailer still passing him. The outside of the right rear trailer tire, on the roadway, struck the left rear foot peg on the axle of the rear wheel on the bike.

As a result, the rider lost control of the bike, was ejected, and struck his head on the edge of the roadway, police said.